Ahmad narrated it. I say: Ismaʿil’s narrations from the Medinans are weak, and this is one of them—especially since Sulayman ibn Bilal differed from him, as did al-Awzaʿi, as stated above. They were also corroborated by Ibrahim ibn Tahman, as al-Hafiz, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, mentioned.

A benefit: This hadith contains an important sunnah that has been abandoned by all the callers to prayer, regrettably. It is one of the examples that clarifies the meaning of the Prophet’s saying: “He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship.” Namely, his statement after the call to prayer: “Whoever remains seated incurs no blame.” This qualifies the general implication of the call, “Come to prayer,” which entails the obligation of responding to it in practice by going to the mosque and praying with the Muslim congregation—except in severe cold and similar valid excuses.

There are other hadiths on this matter, including the hadith of Ibn ʿUmar: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would instruct a caller to prayer to give the call, then say afterward: ‘Pray in your dwellings,’ on a cold or rainy night while travelling.” Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Some of them did not mention the words, “while travelling.” (1) This is the narration of al-Shafiʿi in al-Umm (1/76). He said afterward: “I prefer that the imam instruct this to be said after the caller to prayer has completed his call. But if he says it during his call, there is no harm in it.” Al-Nawawi cited this in al-Majmuʿ (3/129–131) from al-Shafiʿi and from a group